Cost of Living Comparison Between Bloemfontein and Pretoria Cost of Living Comparison Between Bloemfontein and Pretoria

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,066 per month in Bloemfontein vs $1,377 in Pretoria, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,690 per month in Bloemfontein vs $2,061 in Pretoria, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,313 per month in Bloemfontein vs $2,745 in Pretoria, rent included.

Bloemfontein is about 23% cheaper than Pretoria, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Bloemfontein sits 22% below the global median, while Pretoria is 1% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.32 R 202

$9.30 R 152

32.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.44 R 695

$38.02 R 623

11.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.48 R 123

$5.71 R 93.5

31.00%

Cappuccino

$2.14 R 35.06

$2.35 R 38.56

-8.94%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.48 R 24.20

$1.06 R 17.35

39.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.15 R 18.77

$0.88 R 14.45

30.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.55 R 41.82

$2.65 R 43.45

-3.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.80 R 45.94

$3.18 R 52.1

-11.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 R 17.91

$1.23 R 20.18

-11.38%

White Bread (500g)

$1.05 R 17.18

$1.16 R 18.92

-9.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.13 R 34.96

$1.85 R 30.24

15.14%

Eggs

$2.19 R 35.94

$2.54 R 41.66

-13.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.73 R 127

$8.48 R 139

-8.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.98 R 81.5

$5.07 R 83.0

-1.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.20 R 134

$7.24 R 119

13.26%

Apples (1kg)

$2.03 R 33.20

$1.87 R 30.64

8.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 R 26.12

$1.63 R 26.69

-2.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.76 R 28.87

$1.83 R 30.04

-3.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.59 R 25.97

$1.65 R 27.05

-3.64%

Potato (1kg)

$1.57 R 25.64

$1.19 R 19.41

31.93%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 R 31.03

$1.23 R 20.20

53.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 R 18.44

$1.24 R 20.28

-8.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.98 R 16.07

$1.36 R 22.28

-27.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.51 R 41.10

$3.27 R 53.5

-23.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.02 R 82.2

$5.03 R 82.3

-0.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 R 29.05

$1.54 R 25.22

14.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.39 R 22.76

$1.92 R 31.51

-27.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.95 R 15.51

$4.80 R 78.6

-80.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.0 R 1,245

$179 R 2,924

-57.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.14 R 18.64

$0.32 R 5.31

256.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 R 12.74

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.56 R 239

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.40 R 22.89

$1.47 R 24.14

-4.76%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$37.8K R 618.4K

$36.5K R 598.5K

3.33%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$29.8K R 488.6K

$34.0K R 556.9K

-12.25%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$80.1 R 1,313

$155 R 2,534

-48.20%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$33.60 R 550

$37.47 R 614

-10.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.14 R 526

$37.79 R 619

-14.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.72 R 519

$31.74 R 520

-0.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.81 R 177

Cinema Ticket

$4.98 R 81.6

$7.41 R 121

-32.79%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$199 R 3,259

$263 R 4,312

-24.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,086 R 132.4K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.9 R 1,013

$54.4 R 891

13.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.90 R 703

$32.97 R 540

30.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$136 R 2,234

$93.1 R 1,525

46.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 R 1,897

$86.2 R 1,411

34.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$320 R 5,248

$471 R 7,708

-31.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$290 R 4,757

$418 R 6,840

-30.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$513 R 8,399

$1,007 R 16.5K

-49.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$543 R 8,902

$763 R 12.5K

-28.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$499 R 8,180

$900 R 14.7K

-44.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$652 R 10.7K

$713 R 11.7K

-8.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,332 R 21.8K

$1,447 R 23.7K

-7.98%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.13

11.34

6.97%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Bloemfontein: September 14, 2026

Last update for Pretoria: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $320 in Bloemfontein versus $471 in Pretoria. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 9% higher in Pretoria, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $42.00 in Bloemfontein versus $38.00 in Pretoria. Groceries tell a different story – $193 in Bloemfontein vs $198 in Pretoria – so Bloemfontein wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Bloemfontein vs Pretoria: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Pretoria costs about 29% more than Bloemfontein, with the gap driven mainly by Getting Around. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,599 per month in Bloemfontein and $2,066 in Pretoria. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Bloemfontein, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 3% more in Pretoria, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $42.00 in Bloemfontein and $38.00 in Pretoria. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Bloemfontein, where all-in costs run around $1,066, than in Pretoria at $1,377. In Bloemfontein it covers expenses comfortably, while in Pretoria it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Bloemfontein – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Bloemfontein. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Pretoria makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.